


A Chip Off The Old Block

by Ladytalon



Series: The Doctors Light [30]
Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Children, F/M, Humor, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:05:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3813322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladytalon/pseuds/Ladytalon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not on their (community) watch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Chip Off The Old Block

  


It all began with a visit with Tora Olafsdotter and yet another edition of the Cosmopolitan Kama Sutra Special Edition - it wasn't as if she could just _leave_ it there on the coffee table, right? Ice had caught her eyeing it and, perhaps mindful of the case of Perrier Jouët that Arthur had sent her as a thank you gift for the last time she'd shared her...literature, Kimiyo had been immediately gifted with it. "Don't mind all the markings," she'd advised, which meant that Guy had gotten a look at it and had gone to town with the highlighter.

Making a mental note to have the other couple over for dinner later this month, Kimiyo flips through the pages in search of something suitably earth-shaking and her interest has just been captured by one of tips when the sound of running footsteps prompts her to hide it beneath the couch cushions. The door rebounds off the wall as Yasu comes sailing through it. "Mom, you should've seen it, Arthur was wearing Imako's floaties. I think Jake's mom got a picture before he took them off again," he yells on his way to the kitchen.

"Close the door," Kimiyo says, but Arthur is already walking in holding an exhausted little girl in his arms. Imako is fast asleep on his shoulder, still wrapped in a slightly-damp towel. "How did it go?"

"Friends were made, tantrums were thrown...it went fine. Classes are moving to Thursdays next month, and both of them need updated forms but I can pick those up next time," Arthur replies, dropping the bag he's been carrying over the other shoulder. "Where d'you want her?"

Kimiyo finishes spreading a blanket over the couch and motions for him to place Imako there, helping him lower her down carefully. "She's just been _exhausted_ lately - what's this I hear about floaties?"

Arthur grins and kisses her mouth when she purses her lips expectantly. "She didn't want to wear them because she thought everyone would laugh at her. I tried them on so that the infamous 'everyone' would laugh at me first."

"I'm sure they didn't dare."

"Of course not - my biceps look _amazing_ in pink water wings."

Kimiyo agrees that they surely would and secures a promise from him that he'll model them for her later, but she doesn't mention that his escapade might have been immortalized on film. Her husband wanders off to empty out the wet bag and scold Yasu for making off with one of the ingredients he was planning to use in their dessert, so she uses the relative quiet to call Barbara Gordon. Oracle is pleased to hear from her, and they spend a few minutes discussing the crime rate in their respective neighborhoods which gives Kimiyo the perfect lead-in. "Lately there's been an upswing in vandalism in our area - nothing too serious, probably just one or two kids in a rebellious phase - and I've been thinking of putting up a few security cameras."

"You'd like me to monitor them and see what I can find, is that it?" Barbara asks.

Kimiyo can hear the politely restrained incredulity in her friend's voice. "No, but I _am_ wondering how to route the relevant footage to the little punk's computer while he or she is in front of it. We've still got those signs up with Arthur's insignia on them, but it's proven to be such a deterrent that there hasn't been much of a reason to patrol lately."

Oracle laughs. "I see. A neighbor's kid is taking advantage of the slackened security."

"If you could just point me in the right direction, I can set something up..."

"And better me than Noah, right?"

"You didn't hear that from _me_ ," Kimiyo says with a smile. 

"My lips are sealed," Barbara promises. "Listen, speaking of Noah - Wendy's on break next week. What if I have her come to set it up on Tuesday?"

Kimiyo wonders if Wendy's ever gotten around to telling her father that she's working with his arch-nemesis, and reminds herself to ask the young woman on Tuesday. "That'll be perfect - the kids would love to see her. Thanks so much, Babs."

She hangs up and cocks her head to the side to listen for the males in her household. They seem to be deeply involved in a conversation about which metahuman women are the best looking, and that causes another mental note to be written about knocking their heads together at the earliest opportunity. "Hey," she calls out.

Arthur immediately raises his voice for her benefit "...but your mother is the hottest one _by far_. The way those hexagons stretch..."

"Gross," Yasu protests. "Hey, what about Poison Ivy though?" he asks in a much lower voice. "She said I was cute."

"Once you emerge from the rocky shoals of puberty, she will have nothing more to do with you; trust me on this," Arthur says. "In fact, it's just better not to say her name at all - see that houseplant? It'll tell her whatever you said unless you cover up all the leaves at the same time. That's how they hear."

"They do _not_."

"Believe it. This one's only a peace lily and you never know which way it'll go when you have a secret, but if it were a ficus? They're the worst snitches. Breathe one word about Pam around a ficus and the next thing you know, she's knocking down your door and you've got a rash that's one for the record books..."

Smiling to herself, Kimiyo ceases to listen and retrieves the magazine from beneath the cushions. She uses the age-old trick of sliding it into a copy of Better Homes and Gardens, and is soon immersed in some highly risqué advice that she intends to take just as soon as possible. One scenario includes synchronizing your heartbeat... which is easily done in their case, thanks to a visit from a Violet Lantern. It also involves a combination of deep breathing and delicate touches which is ultimately designed to be a contest of sorts... given that the objective is to refrain from having an orgasm before your partner does, this seems perfect for a competitive soul like the one currently entertaining her son with an impression of Julia Child.

Imako stirs, so the Kama Sutra goes back into hiding. "Hey there, little one. How was your swim lesson?"

Her daughter crawls into her lap, yawning widely. "I was a little scared at first, but then it was okay. Andy didn't wanna wear floaties either." She giggles suddenly. "Daddy put mine on and it was so funny!"

"I bet it was." Kimiyo strokes her hair until Imako decides they're both ready to go have dinner and tows her into the kitchen where the boys are. 

'Julia Child' becomes a send-up of Batman that she's not sure Bruce would appreciate, but she has to laugh at how creatively Arthur is using his 'Kiss the Cook' apron. He really hits his stride during his Captain Marvel spiel. "Oh, my stars and garters! That pot sure is smoking up a storm- hang ten, folks, while I give it a pamphlet detailing the evils of cigarettes. Goodness gracious, now it's boiling over like Rolaids in soda pop! Gee whiz willywonkers, I'll bet this never happened to Solomon..."

During dinner, Kimiyo mentions her conversation with Barbara and when she tells them exactly who is going to be arriving on Tuesday to take care of the details, Arthur snorts into his pasta while Imako reacts with excitement. "How's she gonna put up cameras? She's in a _wheelchair_ ," Yasu says, as if they don't already know that.

"I'm not exactly sure how she'll manage it but if Oracle says Wendy can do it, then Wendy can do it."

Arthur looks thoughtful. "She might bring someone along... hopefully it won't be Dinah. The last time I saw her, she yelled at me and I'm still recovering my hearing."

"What'd you do to her?" Imako queries.

This leads Arthur to tap his ear and yell "Huh?" at her.

"You should be nicer," she scolds. 

"Supervillains aren't nice," Yasu says, rolling his eyes at his sister. "Don't you know anything?"

"Onii-sama is, too, nice. He's nice to us all the time."

"That's because if I'm not, your mother won't-" Arthur cuts himself off barely in time.

Kimiyo fixes him with a glare. "I won't _what_?"

"...won't bail me out of jail on my birthday," he finishes triumphantly.

She shakes her head at him and reaches for her water glass. "If Wendy feels the need to bring _anyone_ , and I doubt she will, it's probably going to be Misfit."

Arthur groans. "That'll be all we need, that little twerp running around the subdivision. I'll 'Dark Vengeance' her right into the _dumpster_." 

"She's okay," Yasu blurts out, then turns an alarming shade of red when they all look at him.

" _Really_ ," Kimiyo prompts incredulously. She glances over at her husband, who is plainly appalled at his stepson's taste in women, and gives him a warning look. Arthur raises his eyebrows at her and mimes pulling a zipper over his mouth... maybe they'll try out that tip sooner rather than later.

Imako looks back and forth between them to gauge the appropriate reaction but, when she doesn't find what she's searching for, goes with the tried-and-true singsong response of, "You've got a giiiiirlfriend!" This urges Arthur to break his self-imposed ban on speaking by pointing out that a single-cell amoeba can't be eligible for a romantic relationship, and 'sooner than later' gets downgraded to 'not in this lifetime.' She yells at him, he feigns tearful remorse (the man has obviously missed his calling as thespian), and the subject gets changed to the upcoming parent-teacher conferences.

She sends the kids off to get their rooms cleaned up while she and Arthur clear the table after dessert. Since they have no witnesses, they use their powers to sling plates and cutlery at each other for a few minutes. "You're going to play Leftover Roulette with us, right?" Arthur asks, deflecting a clump of marinara sauce and making it zoom back towards her.

Kimiyo knocks it into the open trashcan and gets through his guard to bounce a wadded-up napkin off his forehead. "Another point for me... oh, I don't know - last time I got stuck with a french toast and sweet pickle sandwich. Everyone thought I was pregnant."

She scores another point by yanking up his shirt and slapping a piece of salad on the small of his back. "Ugh, it's _wet_ ," Arthur complains, trying to reach back and yank it off. "Get it off me; you win - just get it off!"

"Hold still." Kimiyo comes closer and peels it off, then takes advantage of the situation by shoving it down the back of his pants. Arthur's yelp of outrage makes her laugh but the tables are turned when he gets her in a headlock and starts scooting her towards the trashcan. " _Noooo!_ ," Kimiyo shrieks, laughing helplessly as Arthur upends her.

"Don't make this harder on yourself," Arthur pants, trying to loosen her hold on the countertop where she's hanging on for dear life. 

"Arthur, don't!" Kimiyo flails her legs desperately and he grunts, adjusting his grip as she starts to slide down. " _Help!_ "

"C'mon; into the trash you go," he prompts, giving her backside a spank when Kimiyo tries to bite him. They're both breathless with laughter by the time the kids come downstairs to investigate the noise, and end up in a heap by the recycling bins that still need to be set outside. "Who's ready for roulette?"

"Who's ready to be an actual _adult_?" Yasu asks, frowning at them. "You're so _embarrassing_."

Looking suitably contrite, they get out the Lazy Susan and Arthur cleans up the mess they've made while Kimiyo digs the previous week's leftovers out of the fridge. A scarf from the hall closet makes the perfect blindfold and since Imako ended up with the worst combination last Sunday night, she gets to pick the first 'victim.' To absolutely no one's surprise, she chooses her brother and hands him the scarf. Kimiyo slides the Lazy Susan into the middle of the table and once Yasu has the blindfold on, spins it until it stops on its own - Yasu points to the container of his choice and after spinning the turntable once more, chooses the second container. He takes the blindfold off and wrinkles his nose at what Monday's lunch will be, which is a combination of scrambled eggs and fish sticks. They each try their luck and while Kimiyo gets off fairly easily with a bagel and lunchmeat, Arthur winds up with rice pudding and brussels sprouts. Imako gets ravioli and flatbread, which they're all a bit envious of. 

Once the children are safely in bed, they make sure both front and back doors are locked before leaving for a walk. Kimiyo slips her hand into Arthur's and jerks her head towards the direction in which the last act of vandalism has taken place. "Let's go see if we can catch anyone in the act," she says.

Arthur _hmph_ s. "It's probably still too early. If you're going to tag something, you wait until most people are in their beds before doing it." 

There's enough of an edge in his voice to alert her that something's up, and Kimiyo doesn't ignore it. "I didn't call her in an attempt to undermine you." He lets out another huff that materializes as a vapor cloud in the chill darkness. "I wouldn't do that, as much as I harass you in...certain other respects. You know I wouldn't."

"I told everyone that we didn't need the Community Watch," Arthur finally says. "I said that I would take care of it."

"Would you like me to ask Babs to hold off?" Kimiyo asks. "I know you'd rather take care of this yourself... I just hate the fact that you'd need to be out here when it's freezing. The cold isn't good for your joints," she says, waiting for him to remind her that if she hadn't thrown him out of a window he'd be just fine in cooler temperatures.

Arthur draws breath to say exactly that, but then stops so suddenly that she looks up at him in concern. "The cold _isn't_ good for me," he says slowly. "Who else knows that?" 

It isn't information either of them have spread around and, given that Arthur is a typical supervillain in that he'd rather die than show weakness, he's gotten very good at concealing pain over the years. Either someone has excellent observational skills, or they have intimate knowledge of his medical history. It's certainly no coincidence that the vandalism (which includes broken taillights, slashed tires and the odd bit of graffiti) is happening during the time of night when it's coldest outside and when the self-appointed Community Watchman is guaranteed to be at home in bed. "Let's go look at the last object to be sprayed," Kimiyo suggests. "Hannah reported this to me earlier, so I'm not sure if you've seen it yet."

They walk to the row of storage units behind the community pool and Arthur snorts when he sees the graffiti. "They definitely know what Hannah likes," he says, gesturing to the word 'penis' that's been sprayed in neon green paint. "Should've used yellow, though... wait a minute." Arthur releases her hand and walks up to the steel door, scanning the letters carefully before dropping into a crouch and picking something up from the grass.

"What did you find?" Kimiyo asks, walking up to take a look.

Arthur looks up at her. "I know who did it."

"Well?"

"You're not going to like this," he says, pushing himself back up with a soft grunt. 

Arthur holds out his hand, and Kimiyo reaches out to pluck a bead from his palm - it has the letter U inscribed on it, and has most definitely fallen from her son's keychain while he was out here vandalizing the night away. "I can't believe it," she says, staring down at the bead. "I just... _Yasu_ was out here doing this while we were all asleep? You didn't pick up on anything before this, did you?"

He shakes his head and reaches out to turn her back towards their home. "I would've expected it before you, ah, _rejoined_ us, but it doesn't make much sense that he's doing it _now_. Do you...do you want me to talk to him?"

Kimiyo turns her head to stare back at the green paint. "Oh, I don't think so. We're both going to be waiting for him out here."

"At two o'clock in the morning?" he asks incredulously. "C'mon, Kim...!"

"You're not getting soft in your old age, are you?" Kimiyo counters, which has the desired effect on his attitude (though there are a few _sotto voce_ rumblings about rudeness). They _do_ end up 'porting back inside the house so they can formulate their plan and, most importantly, verify that the bead actually came from the keychain. "This still doesn't really prove that Yasu is the vandal," she says as they both stand staring at the frayed end of the keyring which is indeed missing one of its components. "All it _does_ prove is that he was there."

Arthur tries to cheer her up by suggesting that her son might be having an illicit love affair after school, and guides her into their bedroom for a more private conversation. "It's probably just a rebellious phase, after all...what exactly are you planning to do? We could still go upstairs and wake him up," he offers.

Kimiyo shakes her head. "No. I have to see this with my own eyes - if we woke him up, he'd just lie about it and I would believe him. I'd want to believe him. I need to _see_."

"Are you absolutely sure?" Arthur asks one more time, resting his palm against her back gently. "It might be easier if you believed it wasn't him, and the vandalism stopped." 

She knows that he's trying to shelter her from this and is sorely tempted to take him up on her offer... but a mother should know the truth about her children, even when it is inconvenient. "No, Artie," she says quietly. This time she leans into his touch, accepting the comfort when he places a kiss on her temple. "Should we stay up and wait, or maybe just set an alarm?"

"Somehow I doubt that you'll be able to sleep... what about a movie? If we keep it low enough and put the subtitles on, we'll still be able to hear him sneaking out and he won't know that we're still awake as long as the overhead light is off," he says.

Kimiyo grabs their suits and the two black capes that Gambi had given them as a wedding gift - because apparently nothing says romance quite like a night op - while Arthur sits on the edge of the bed frowning at the TV while he flips through the channels looking for something to watch. "How about that one?"

"We're not watching Rosemary's Baby right before a showdown with one of your children," Arthur lectures. "It's either Sesame Street or National Geographic. At this time of night, everything's a rerun." They get changed and curl up together, watching a documentary about India's wildlife while they're waiting for Yasu to sneak out and continue his crime spree. Kimiyo tries to keep her attention on the screen, but she can't stop thinking about her son... _their_ son, if she's honest - Arthur has proven himself to be eminently more worthy than their biological father ever was. She appreciates that he's tried his best to step back and hand the reins of parenthood over to her after her return, but that his sense of responsibility for her children hasn't faded a bit. Her initial anger has faded to a sadness bordering upon depression, but thinking of this blatant disrespect makes the rage flare up anew. "Try to relax," Arthur says suddenly. "More fire damage will only result in a higher insurance premium... again."

"Well, I'm angry," Kimiyo says. "I feel like marching up those stairs and scorching his ungrateful little butt."

"You'll get your chance in a few hours. D'you wanna play cards, or something?"

" _Cards?_ "

"It'll help keep your mind off him - the more you think about it, the more upset you'll be. Besides, it's been too long since I annihilated you at Go Fish," Arthur tells her, extending an arm towards his nightstand and using his power to open the top drawer. A deck of cards floats out of it and drops onto the bedspread - this particular deck had been discovered when they'd all been vacationing in Kyoto and Arthur purchased it from a street vendor. Kimiyo still doesn't know where the vendor had gotten the cards from, and if she should be flattered or dismayed that she'd been rendered as a pin-up on the back of the deck.

She settles herself cross-legged on the bed in front of Arthur, who does the same before shuffling the cards. "I still think I should get some cards made with _you_ on them," Kimiyo says. "Merlyn would buy however much I had left."

"Oh, it wouldn't be just Merlyn who'd want them," Arthur says cheerfully, another allusion to the storied past he's never talked about...though she has a very good idea of how many sexual partners he's had, thanks to Deadshot and the 'accident' last year with that pheromone spray. "Want to go first?"

Kimiyo gives her busty pin-up self another perusal before flipping her cards over. "Sure. Do you have any sixes?"

Arthur slides one over to her. "We'll have to bring the computer chair with us when it's time to leave," he begins, and she sighs loudly because she knows he's working his way up to saying something ridiculous. 

"Do you have any...oh, let's see...any threes?"

"Go fish." he's watching her expectantly and when Kimiyo refuses to say anything else after she draws a card, Arthur narrows his eyes at her. "You're supposed to ask why we need to bring the chair, Miko. D'you have any sevens?"

"I'm hoping that by not asking, you won't finish the joke. Go _fish_."

Arthur declares that she lost her chance when she started sighing at him 'like bellows at a blacksmith's forge,' as he puts it, and doesn't say another word about it. They play three successive games before it really starts to bug her, but Kimiyo holds out for another game (they're doing best of five) before bringing her cards up to hide her face. "Okay, why do we need to bring the chair?"

He makes a show of arranging his cards before looking up at her. "So you can turn around dramatically and say, ' _I've been expecting you_.'"

Kimiyo gazes at her husband, telling herself quite sternly that it's not funny even though the mental image is pretty amusing. "I don't think the chair has a high enough back on it," she finally says. 

"Suit yourself," he says with a shrug. "Do you have any eights?"

They play a few more hands before Kimiyo hears the slight creak of someone sneaking down the stairs, and she reaches out to touch Arthur's forearm. "It's time," she says, and they both check the clock to find that it's only 12:30. 

Arthur wraps his cape around himself tightly and powers up in preparation for the much colder temperature outside; when they hear the front door close, he gestures towards her. "Come here and I'll 'port us out," he offers. Because she knows that he's had greater experience at hunting people down in the middle of the night, Kimiyo doesn't argue.

They materialize high enough for a thin crust of ice to form on Kimiyo's hair and the cold burns her lungs as she inhales. "Any particular reason why you brought us out so high?" she says, pushing away from him and wrapping up in her own cape. "It's freezing."

"Besides the fact that we need to keep ourselves hidden from anyone who would know what a bright flash of light usually signifies... you need to have a cool head, pardon the pun, when you confront him. If you go in hot, things might be said that can't be taken back later," Arthur says gently. 

Kimiyo glares over at him. "Sometimes I think that I like you better when you're behaving like an idiot adolescent."

He tips a nonexistent hat to her. "I live to serve." Arthur powers up until she can see steam rising from him, then suggests that they get on with their night.

They fly down through the clouds in pursuit of their juvenile delinquent and when Kimiyo catches sight of him, something seems _off_ , somehow. First of all, she'd thought that Yasu was taller and secondly...who are all these other children coming to meet him? "A motorcycle helmet and a white cape?" she murmurs, looking over at her husband to see what his thoughts are.

Arthur is staring down at the group with a mixture of horror and amusement on his his face. "Oh, no. That's... _not_ Yasu."

Not Yasu? Then it can only be- "Imako?" she yells, and all the kids freeze a second before they start to scatter. "Arthur, _get them_!" The next few minutes are a flurry of teleportation and child wrangling, but they're finally corralled in a forcefield. Arthur still looks as if he'd very much like to laugh, but thankfully he's doing his best to hold it in. "Let's see...Ellie Snart, Josh Mardon, Lian _Harper_? What are _you_ \- no, never mind. Ibn al Xu'ffasch-"

" _Damian_ ," the little punk corrects her.

"If you're here as a Wayne, then perhaps that's who I should call to come get you," Kimiyo says sweetly. "I'm sure Bruce would _love_ a phone call at one a.m." 

He actually sticks his tongue out at her. "Go ahead. He'll just think it's all Doofus' idea, anyway," Damian says, jabbing a finger in Arthur's direction.

"That's _Doctor_ Doofus," Kimiyo corrects - Arthur looks up from his phone with a scowl. "Arthur? Don't call just yet... I think we need to look up Alfred Pennyworth's number instead." This bit of name-dropping takes the wind out of Damian's sails and leaves her free to finish taking inventory, as it were. There are six more children with at least one metahuman parent and both she and Arthur are kept busy calling their families while all of the kids offer outrageous bribes. 

Arthur's initial amusement has turned to irritated disapproval, and he gives them a talking-to that has each one realizing that 'Uncle Arthur' has taken the night off. The threats might be unnecessarily descriptive, but the knowledge of what will befall them the next time they decide to violate the rules in this particular neighborhood makes them go very pale and very, very quiet. Kimiyo winds up his inspirational speech by reminding them that she's willing and able to ensure that each one of them spends time in a juvenile correction facility, giving her own daughter a significant look so that Imako knows that there will be no exceptions for her. It hasn't escaped Kimiyo's notice that Imako is wearing a bargain-basement version of a Doctor Light uniform, nor has she missed the light belt and gloves that can only have come from one particular source.

"Your parents should be here any minute to collect you," Kimiyo announces, sending another pulse of light into the forcefield to keep the little vandals warm, "So before you go, I will list all of the damages and whomever has participated will raise their hands. We will draw up a schedule and you will return to fix and/or repaint wherever needed - in the event that the residents have already cleaned up after you, a separate service will be required...and then you will all come see Arthur. I'm sure he has something for each of you to do."

Her husband looks over at her, but she keeps her eyes fixed upon the kids. Both of them have avoided paying much attention to Imako thus far, and she's fidgeting uncontrollably by the time the first parents arrive to collect their wayward offspring. "Slashed tires on Brook Street? Okay, that's Damian - could you wait just a moment please, Mark? I need to question Josh before you take him home..." she's tempted to ask how he's gotten here so quickly, but then Kimiyo notices Mirror Master standing beside Arthur. "Josh? Was it you who ripped up the gardens last week?" The little boy nods and shuffles over to his father.

"I'm taking El, too - Cold's back with Leah. Stomach bug's been going around."

Kimiyo motions for Lenny's eldest to come over. "Well?"

"I did the banana thing," she admits, referring to the bananas that multiple residents discovered stuffed in their car's tailpipes. "It was funny in the movie we watched with Daddy."

"Someone needs to tell him that _Beverly Hills Cop_ is not appropriate for seven year-olds," Kimiyo says. "Mark, I'll get in touch with you later in the week regarding Josh's community service - if you can let Leonard know, I would appreciate it."

Mark sighs. "Yeah, sure. I don't even know how the hell Josh _got_ here... sorry, guys. I know it's your turf." He gives the two children's shoulders a warning shake and they duck their heads as they apologize, too. "Send an email or something."

Kimiyo nods and wishes him a good night (though it's technically morning), and Evan takes them all back to Central City. A few more children are picked up by their angry parents but seeing as it is too cold for everyone to wait outside, Arthur helps her move the three remaining kids back to their place. Damian is retrieved by a sternly disapproving Alfred, and Imako huddles on the couch silently while they wait for either Roy or Jade to come for Lian... in the end, Dinah appears to usher her out to the car.

Arthur drums his fingers on the tabletop and doesn't look up when Kimiyo sits down beside him. "Are you going to say something, or shall I do it?" he says finally.

"You could start with telling me where she got that belt."

"The last I knew, it was atop a skyscraper in Metropolis - she must've bribed Chris to get it down for her," Arthur tells her. "I don't think he brought the gloves, because she would have been wearing them."

Kimiyo sighs. "This is a conversation for another time, after we've both had some sleep. Imako, come out here." Her daughter drags her feet every step of the way and studies the carpet once she's planted herself in front of them. "What on earth did you think you were doing?"

"I just wanted some friends," Imako says. 

"You _have_ friends," she reminds her. "What about Anna and Janet? The last time I checked, you three were joined at the hip. They were just here on Friday."

Imako sniffs and rubs at her eyes. "I know, but I wanted... I wanted... you have the League and he has the Society and all I have is Swim Club."

"So now you have a gang," Arthur says. "You have a gang which operates in the very neighborhood that is under my protection." Kimiyo touches his arm, and he glances over at her. "I know she's yours and that means this is mostly your business, but there's something I need to say before I leave you to it. Imako, I told everyone at the Neighborhood Watch meeting that they wouldn't have to worry about crime - that I would take care of it. You've not only made me a liar, but you used the tools I made for you to do it with. Disappointment doesn't even come close to what I'm feeling right now."

"I'm suh-suh-suh- _sorry_ ," Imako howls, and the sheer amount of tears coming from her eyes is both impressive and alarming.

Arthur sighs and pushes his chair back, leaning over to kiss Kimiyo's forehead. "I'm going to bed."

Kimiyo focuses all of her attention upon her daughter, who has now given herself hiccups. "Well, at least now I know exactly why you've been taking all of these afternoon naps."

"I'm _sorry_ ," Imako repeats, sniffling loudly. 

"You've said that repeatedly," Kimiyo says. "If I knew whether you were genuinely sorry or just sorry that you've been caught, I'd feel more at ease...not that it matters much, because I promise that you will regret every single moment of your misbehavior by the time I'm through with you." Imako shrinks back against the couch cushions, looking so miserable that Kimiyo feels like giving her a hug. She sends her daughter to bed instead, making her turn over the belt, cape, and helmet. She also has Imako list her misdeeds. "We will discuss this further when we've all had some sleep."

She leaves a message on the school's answering machine to let them know that Imako won't be attending until the following day, and goes into the bedroom after writing a note to Yasu. Arthur isn't asleep when she gets into the bed with him, and Kimiyo curls up against him. "Yasu's going to walk with Hal's kids in the morning," she says through a yawn that feels like her jaw's coming unhinged. "We'll keep her home with us tomorrow."

"I can't believe she has her own _gang_ ," Arthur says. "She's not even eight years old- I didn't have one until I was at least thirty-five!"

" _I_ can't believe that the only reason you're upset is because she and her gang are working in your territory." She rubs her head into his chest, trying to find a comfortable spot to fall asleep in. "She was the one who spray-painted 'penis' on the storage unit."

"No kidding?"

"Oh yeah - definitely her."

"Well, at least she spelled it correctly..."

" _Arthur_!"

He reaches his other hand over to lace his fingers with hers. "Don't worry, I'm still upset with her," Arthur says, freeing her mind from thoughts of 'punishment' becoming something that's actually fun. "Homeowner's Association's been dropping hints about wanting everyone to get the storage units painted anyway, so I'll stop by Tammy's place to see what color Imako will be getting all over herself."

Kimiyo groans. "What a night."

"Hm-mmm," Arthur agrees sleepily.

And to think that she'd planned on spending it trying out new moves in the bedroom. "So much for the Cosmo Kama Sutra," she sighs.

Arthur's eyes immediately pop back open, and only her grunt of annoyance keeps him from flailing upright. "You're telling me this _now_?"

"Go to sleep and we'll discuss it in the morning. Afternoon. Whatever."

He sounds off with a grunt of his own, and rolls away from her so that she flops into the warm spot he's left behind. "Your feet are cold; leave me alone." 

Kimiyo laughs and pulls her pillow over to her new spot, then bends her knees so that she can slide her feet up underneath the t-shirt Arthur's wearing. He arches his back in a half-hearted attempt to get away, but then simply powers up enough to warm them both before his glow fades because he's fallen asleep. She stays awake a little while longer to think about Imako's gang and if she should tell any of the neighbors exactly who is responsible for the vandalism... then decides that it's up to each child's parents to disclose that information. Her last thought before sleep is that it _is_ pretty impressive that Imako spelled 'penis' correctly.

_fin_


End file.
